Stepp enters mining fray

A bill rewriting Wisconsin’s mining regulations foundered in the state Senate this week, and now the secretary of the Department of Natural Resources is stepping into the fray. Richland Center Republican Dale Schultz played a pivotal role in rejecting a final offer from Republicans. “People need to know that that would substantially change Wisconsin’s environmental laws with respect to mining, and would allow the filling of streams and lakes, and would allow wholesale filling of wetlands,” Schultz said in an interview with WRCO radio. Schultz said Gogebic Taconite’s precipitous decision to pull out of a proposed iron ore mine this week was telling. “What they are obviously upset about is the fact that they got caught trying to change environmental laws here in this state. Basically they, I think, would kind of like to be able to mine the way they do in West Virginia. Mountaintop removal is what it’s called out there. It would be similar here.”

“To have some Senate Democrats or Senator Schultz saying that there are unanswered questions on environmental protections is just not true,” said DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp. “I just felt it was time for me to speak out so that people around Wisconsin understood what is really going on here.” Stepp released a statement critical of Schultz and Senator Bob Jauch, the Democrat whose district includes the Penokee Range, location of the proposed open-pit mine. “The failure of this bill in the state Senate, for the Senate Democrats killing this, really comes down to politics over policy, and that’s a tragedy,” said Stepp, adding that DNR staff remain “ready, willing and able” to oversee any future mining operations. “To be throwing up these potential things when we don’t even have a proposal in front of us . . . was really just trying to set up false tripwires.”

While Gogebic has apparently pulled the plug on its proposed mine, an Iron County business group is hoping an eleventh hour compromise might yet restart the process. The Iron County Development Zone has scheduled a noon rally for Saturday, at the Montreal City Hall. “The legislature is still in session next week, and it would be nice if they could take some action,” said the group’s Kelly Klein. “We want to show Gogebic Taconite that we do support them.”